Jordan Valley, An Agricultural Plain With Key Resources

The Jewish settlement of Mechola in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank stands with Jordanian villages east of the Jordan River in the background. AFP
The Jewish settlement of Mechola in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank stands with Jordanian villages east of the Jordan River in the background. AFP
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Jordan Valley, An Agricultural Plain With Key Resources

The Jewish settlement of Mechola in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank stands with Jordanian villages east of the Jordan River in the background. AFP
The Jewish settlement of Mechola in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank stands with Jordanian villages east of the Jordan River in the background. AFP

The Jordan Valley makes up nearly a third of the occupied West Bank and is in Israel's sights to annex as it considers control of the plain, which sits between two desert mountain ranges, essential for its security.

If Israel presses ahead with annexation, the valley will mark the country's western border with Jordan, AFP reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in January described it as "vital" to Israel, vowing his government would "apply sovereignty" to the area.

For the Palestinians, such a step would destroy "all chances of peace".

The valley is home to some 65,000 Palestinians, including around 20,000 Jericho residents, according to Israeli anti-occupation organisation B'Tselem.

Israeli settlements are viewed as illegal under international law, but Washington broke with this consensus in November and said it should be up to Israeli courts to decide on their legality.

The majority of the Jordan Valley is already administered by Israel, as it forms part of the West Bank's "Area C" as outlined in the Oslo peace accords of the 1990s.

Area C covers around 60 percent of the West Bank, while Area B, which accounts for roughly 22 percent, is under Palestinian civil rule but Israeli security control.

The remaining Area A, which covers the eight major towns and cities including Jericho, is under full Palestinian control.

Lying south of Lake Tiberias and to the north of the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley is also strategic for its agricultural land and water resources in the arid region.

But 85 percent of the valley is inaccessible to Palestinians, according to B'Tselem, while 56 percent is designated for military use.

According to AFP, Israel frequently demolishes Palestinian property built in Area C without Israeli permits, which are extremely hard to obtain.

The Jordan Valley accounts for the highest number of such demolitions in the West Bank, with some 2,400 structures levelled since 2009, according to European Union figures.



US Links Ankara-Damascus Normalization to Political Solution in Syria

Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)
Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)
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US Links Ankara-Damascus Normalization to Political Solution in Syria

Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)
Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)

Recent statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his willingness to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to normalize relations between the two countries have sparked mixed reactions.
While the Syrian opposition sees the possibility of such a meeting despite the challenges, Damascus views the statements as a political maneuver by the Turks. Meanwhile, the United States has tied the normalization process to achieving a political solution in Syria based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, issued in 2015.
Turkish media reported on Thursday that a US administration official, who was not named, confirmed that Washington is against normalizing relations with the Syrian regime under Assad. He emphasized that Washington cannot accept normalizing ties with Damascus without progress toward a political solution that ends the conflicts in Syria.
Meanwhile, the head of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, Hadi al-Bahra, stated that a meeting between Assad and Erdogan is possible despite the obstacles. In a statement to Reuters on Thursday, Bahra said the meeting is feasible, even though Ankara is fully aware that the Assad regime cannot currently meet its demands and understands the regime’s limitations.
Bahra pointed out that the UN-led political process remains frozen and that he had briefed US and Western officials on the latest developments in the Syrian file. On Saturday, Bahra participated in a consultative meeting in Ankara with the Syrian Negotiation Commission, along with a high-level delegation from the US State Department, during which they exchanged views on the political solution and the need to establish binding mechanisms for implementing international resolutions related to the Syrian issue.
On the other side, Assad’s special advisor, Bouthaina Shaaban, dismissed Erdogan’s announcement that Ankara is awaiting a response from Damascus regarding his meeting with Assad for normalization as another political maneuver with ulterior motives.
Shaaban, speaking during a lecture at the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was reported by Turkish media on Thursday, stated that any rapprochement between the two countries is contingent on its withdrawal of forces from Syrian territory.